


As Long As We're Together

by mizukiakabayashis (kraykei)



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post-Series, RinHaru Valentine Event, Romance, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 21:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3356396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kraykei/pseuds/mizukiakabayashis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin's romantic proposal doesn't exactly go as planned, but that might not be a bad thing after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Long As We're Together

**Author's Note:**

> every time I write something I think "this is it, the sappiest thing I've ever written" and then I write something else to prove myself wrong. special super extra thanks to hannah for proofreading this for me as usual, I love you.

Rin wanted to get married.

He was pretty sure he’d been in love with Haru since they first locked eyes at that elementary school swimming tournament, but this was something _new_.  It wasn’t the heart-pounding, life-changing love that drove him to impulsively transfer schools mid-term or show up on Haru’s doorstep with an extra ticket to Australia.  He still felt that way and probably always would, but there was more, now.

This new affection was softer, more domestic, content with Haru’s head on his shoulder while they watched another water documentary and joint trips to the grocery store.  Whether they were winning the gold or just eating dinner on a Tuesday night, Rin wanted to do it side-by-side.  Forever. 

So why not make it official? 

Valentine’s Day was the perfect opportunity for a non-suspicious date.  He’d treat Haru to his favorite seafood restaurant, take a detour through the park on the way home, and intertwine their hands as he asked to spend the rest of their lives together.  It would be perfect, simple— _romantic_.  He already had the rings, two simple silver bands.  He’d almost gone with something more intricate, but this felt better for Haru.  He wasn’t exactly a flashy guy. 

All he had to do now was ask his boyfriend out.  How hard could that be?

There was hardly room for them both in their cramped apartment kitchen.  Sometimes Rin thought about getting a new place—they’d saved up enough—but there was something sentimental about the first home they’d gotten together.  And as long as Haru had a bathtub, he was satisfied.  So they stayed.

Rin sat at the table, watching Haru’s back muscles move through his t-shirt as he cooked.  They were having mackerel for the second night in a row, but he never bothered complaining until the third anymore.  He almost found Haru’s weird eating habits endearing.  

They still bickered often, but they’d actually achieved enough of balance between them to exist in harmony, most of the time.  Rin couldn’t help but smile so wide his cheeks ached at the thought.  God, sometimes it just hit him, he loved Haru so _much—_

It was definitely time to put his plan into action.

“Valentine’s Day is next week.” 

“I know.”

At least he knew. That was…progress. _What’s the point_ , he’d said last New Year’s when Rin insisted they kiss on the stroke of midnight, _we kiss all the time_.  The _point_ , Rin had explained, was that it was _romantic_ , and after years of being mocked by his friends (mostly Sousuke), he was willing to admit he ate that shit up. 

Haru…didn’t, usually. But Rin Matsuoka never backed down from a challenge.

“We should go out.”

Haru didn’t even look up from his mackerel when he asked, “Why?”

“For dinner.” 

“No.”  Before Rin could react to the quick rejection, Haru looked over his shoulder for the first time in their conversation and fixed him with those blue eyes that were still as captivating as they’d been over a decade ago. _As clear as water_ , he’d told anyone who’d listen—which had been embarrassing.  Really embarrassing.  But _true_.  “I just…want to stay in.”

Sometimes he forgot how different they were.  On the exterior, they were hot and cold, Rin a churning mess of blatant emotion and Haru a closed-off enigma. But, really, Haru burned with emotions as strong as his own—he just concealed them well.  The longer they spent together, the better Rin became at deciphering the clues. Haru’s lack of grand, romantic gestures didn’t mean he didn’t care.  Rin found it in the little things: the way Haru said his name so _softly_ , the times his eyes lit up from watching Rin doing absolutely nothing but exist.  

It made sense that Haru just wanted a night in for Valentine’s Day rather than something big.  This totally ruined his proposal plan, but that plan would just have to change. He’d loved Haru for ages—he could postpone tying the knot a few more weeks.

Rin stood up, and less than two steps later he was close enough to wrap his arms around Haru’s waist. “Then we’ll stay here,” he said, just a little too close to his ear.  It got no reaction, which was almost insulting.  He leaned down to kiss Haru’s neck instead, smiling in satisfaction when he felt his muscles tense—he really _was_ ticklish everywhere.

“I’m trying to cook.” 

“Sorry,” he said, even though they both knew he wasn’t.  Haru let out an irritated huff, but relaxed in his arms anyway.

The silence between them was comfortable, punctuated only by the sounds of cooking and the occasional annoyed noise from Haru when Rin restricted his reach by getting a little too cozy.  He was tempted to stay like this all evening—they had before—but the previous conversation felt unfinished.  The last thing he wanted was for Haru to think he’d disappointed him by rejecting his dinner invitation.

“I don’t care if we go out or not,” he said, stretching to rest his chin on Haru’s shoulder.  “It was just an idea.”

“I know.”

“…You do?”

“It doesn’t matter as long as we’re together.”  After a little too long of a pause, Haru added, “…That’s what you’re probably thinking.”

Rin could _feel_ himself blushing.  Jesus—even after all this time, Haru always found a way to leave him flustered, intentionally or not.  Usually intentionally.  “That’s romantic.  You know, for you.”

“Shut up.” Rin didn’t miss the slight upward quirk of Haru’s lips and couldn’t help but flash a wide grin to match.

“You’re _smiling_.”

“I’m trying to cook,” Haru said again, but still made no effort to push him away.  Rin had a feeling he never would.

As long as they stayed like this a little longer, proposing could wait.

 

\---

 

He couldn’t wait any longer.

Every moment spent with Haru was unbearably charged with anticipation. So far, he’d almost ruined everything and popped with question over dinner, on the train home from practice, and when Haru caught him staring one day at breakfast and shot him a small (yet devastating)smile.  He kept the ring in his pocket at all times, just in case the perfect moment somehow arose.

It was just a dream—he’d accepted the perfect moment probably _wasn’t_ coming anytime soon.  Even on Valentine’s Day.  So he suppressed his hopes and treated it like a normal night, returning home from the store with low expectations. 

The first thing he noticed when he walked through the door was how _dark_ the apartment was. From what he could see, the only light came from the kitchen.  What the hell?

“Haru?” There was no response, so he walked into the next room.  “What are you—”

The words died in his throat at the sight before him.  The table was set with actual placemats (how long had they even owned placemats?) and two portions of Rin’s favorite pork dish. In the center, there were fucking _candles_. Candles?!   Standing in front of this ridiculous scene was Haru, his shirt buttoned just a little too high to be casual.

When he saw Rin, he just frowned. “You took longer than you said you would.”

Rin ignored the complaint and got straight to the point.  “Did you…make me dinner?”  Haru usually cooked, but this was different. There were _candles_. Shit. Rin resented the blush rising to his cheeks.

“…It’s supposed to be a surprise.  For Valentine’s Day.”  Haru glanced away before adding, “I know you like this kind of thing.”

Holy _shit_.  This was why he’d wanted to stay in?  Rin felt like an idiot.  He’d really underestimated Haru.  “I think this is the most romantic thing you’ve ever done.”  He remembered when Haru chased after him, let Rin pin him to the ground and soak his face with tears, said the words that saved him, and added, “At least in a while.”

“Shut up,” Haru said, but Rin didn’t miss how his cheeks reddened.  He could almost laugh at the picture they made—boyfriends of four years unable to look each other in the eye over a simple romantic gesture.  _Hopeless_ , Sosuke would say.

“You should eat before it gets cold.”

As they sat down at the table, he ignored Haru’s words and observed him instead. Rin had never really noticed how _nice_ black looked on Haru, but his dark dress shirt made his eye look even bluer than usual. 

“You’re staring at me.”

Rin couldn’t stop himself from saying, “You look good.”

Haru was visibly embarrassed, but still said, “You too.”

He glanced down at the hoodie and tank top he was wearing.  They were probably from high school.  “In this?”

“Yeah.  It’s how you always look.” 

_Shit_.  Haru was going to kill him with stupid lines like that. “You’re so _weird_ ,” he said, shoving a bite of pork into his mouth.  Haru just smiled, probably knowing Rin was as flustered as he was.  A tie.  As usual.

They ate in silence.  The meal passed in a blur as Rin repeatedly convinced himself not to propose.

“I’ll do the dishes,” Haru said, standing up suddenly. He seemed too stiff, his limbs jerky, but Rin wasn’t sure if his movements were really awkward or if he was simply projecting his own nerves.  Just thinking about proposing left his heart pounding like he was about to dive into an Olympic race, and it wasn’t even _happening_ tonight. 

Rin stood up too, desperate for some activity to release his excess energy.  “Let me help.”

Haru made a soft sound of acceptance, and soon they stood side-by-side at the sink. They were so close Rin could feel Haru’s body heat.  It made his palms sweat.  It’d been like this ever since he bought those damn rings.  He’d seen Haru naked countless times, but this whole “proposal” thing left him as nervous as a twelve year old with a crush.  And he sure knew plenty about that ( _romantic, right?_ ). 

He almost _jumped_ when Haru’s voice pulled him back to reality.  “Rin.”

“Yeah?”

“We should get married.”

The plate he was holding slipped from between his fingers and fell into the sink with a deafening clatter.  He didn’t even check if it was broken. All he cared about was the possible hallucination he’d just experienced.  Because there was _no fucking way_ those words had left Haru’s lips.

The only sound he managed was a strangled “ _What_?”

Haru frowned slightly, like Rin was messing with him and not just in _total fucking shock_.  “I’m proposing.”

This wasn’t a hallucination.  It was actually _happening_.  “You’re—”

Rin lost the ability to speak when Haru reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar-looking box.  He could do nothing but stare in shock as Haru reached out and linked their free hands together.  “Rin.  Will you marry me?”

The tears came before he could even try to stop them, pooling in his eyes and leaving hot, wet trails down his cheeks.  Haru just squeezed his hand and waited patiently for a coherent response.  Thankfully, he was used to Rin crying over things as important as this by now.

A few deep, shaky breaths later, Rin was calm enough to wipe his eyes and really _look_ at the rings Haru picked out.  What he saw left him momentarily speechless.  All he could do was laugh—there was no fucking _way_. 

Haru frowned in understandable confusion.  “What?”

“I—” No words could do the hilarity of the situation justice. Rin reached into his pocket and presented Haru with his own box containing two engagement bands.  Ones _exactly identical_ to those Haru had selected.  “I was going to give you this.”

Haru’s eyes widened so fast it was almost comical, and Rin admired the adorably shocked expression on his face.  He gave in to the desperate desire to touch it, reaching out and running his thumb gently down Haru’s cheek.  His skin wasn’t as soft as it looked—he spent too much time in the pool and never remembered moisturizer.  But it felt perfect.

When Haru managed to speak again, all he said was “Rin?”

He couldn’t fight back a wide grin as he leaned in close enough that their foreheads touched. Up close, Haru’s eyes looked like they contained the entire ocean.  “Hm?”

“That’s a yes, right?”

Rin laughed softly, knowing they were so close Haru could feel the vibrations in his own body.  “Of course it is, you idiot.”

Calling Haru’s eyes the ocean wasn’t quite right, he realized.  When they sparkled like this, they were more like an entire sky full of stars.  “Shut up.”

Rin tried to flash his most obnoxious leer, but with tears still staining his cheeks it turned out more like the same hopeless smile.  Close enough.  “You could make me.”

Haru’s only response was to lean in and kiss him.

 

\---

 

Rin thought he’d finally be able to rest easy with the anticipation of the proposal no longer coursing through his veins, but that night, he couldn’t sleep.

Even with the ring on his finger and Haru warm and solid in his arms, it didn’t feel real.  He couldn’t help expecting he’d wake up sixteen years old and desperately alone in the Samezuka dorms, the past several years nothing more than an achingly realistic dream.  Their life together still felt too good to be true.  Sometimes, he was afraid to even touch Haru, in case he’d never really been there at all.

But tonight, he pulled him closer, unable to resist planting a kiss on his neck.  Rin jumped a little when Haru sighed.  Apparently, he wasn’t the only one still awake.

“Go to sleep, Rin.”

“I can’t.”

Haru shifted in his grasp until they faced one other.  “Relax.  It’s annoying.”

“How can I relax when we’re getting married?”  It’s not like Haru could talk—Rin recognized the tension in his shoulders, the gleam in his eyes.  “You’re excited, too.”

“…Yeah.  But you’re the annoying one.”

Rin closed the short distance between them, laughing softly against Haru’s neck as he cuddled closer.  “Let’s just both try to sleep, okay?”

Haru made a short noise of agreement, relaxing slightly against him.  Rin tried deliberately to slow his breathing, focusing only on the warm, familiar body against his own.  This was real, he reminded himself.  Somehow, he’d gotten so fucking lucky that this was _real_.

He was almost asleep when Haru’s voice pulled him back to reality.  “Rin.”

He wanted to say _who’s annoying now?_ , but didn’t have the energy for the argument it would cause. “Yeah?”

“I won.”

Now _that_ was enough to wake him up.  “Excuse me?”

“We both wanted to propose.”  Haru had the nerve to cuddle closer like he was saying something romantic and not issuing a challenge.  “I did it first.  I won.”

“No you didn’t!”

“Yes I did.”

Usually, the competitive spark between them fuelled their petty fights for ages, but tonight Rin realized it didn’t really matter.  “Didn’t we both win, really?” he asked, running his hand through Haru’s hair, enjoying the way he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch appreciatively.  “We’re still getting married.”

Haru was quiet so long Rin thought he’d fallen back asleep before he said, with just a hint of a smile on his face, “Yeah.”

Rin couldn’t help but grin back even as he, too, closed his eyes and pulled Haru closer.  His breathing slowed easily, now, exhaustion and contentment winning out over his excitement. All his Valentine’s Day plans had failed, but that was okay.  Everything was perfect the way it was.

As long as they were together, Rin would never stop smiling.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> mizukiakabayashis on tumblr hmu if you wanna cry about things


End file.
